BOSTON – When Celtics fans see the types of things out of Marcus Smart that the Boston braintrust has seen out of him in recent weeks then there is every reason to believe the Oklahoma State product is going to be a huge fan favorite in the city.

Celtics coach Brad Stevens gushed about how everyone in the gym gravitated toward Smart following his first workout in Waltham earlier this month. Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge enjoyed watching him work out so much he invited him back to Waltham a second time, and traveled to watch him audition a third time.

Everyone who has seen Smart play, and talked with him off the court, has come away very impressed.

“Marcus is a hard guy not to like,” Ainge said shortly before midnight Thursday night. “He plays with great fire. He’s one of the great competitors I’ve seen around the world watching basketball.

“I think that’s probably the first thing that caught my eye. Then we studied him. He plays extremely hard. He’s very physical. He gets to the free throw line. We feel like he has a real bright future as a point guard. But we feel he can play shooting guard as well.”

At the conclusion of a process that began with Ainge saying on lottery night the team would explore any avenues that could lead to it trading the No. 6 pick, Ainge said Thursday none of the offers he received for the pick came close to matching what he’s come to expect out of Smart.

“There were a few tempting opportunities,” said Ainge, who also took Kentucky freshman James Young with pick No. 17. “But nothing exciting. Nothing better than we were able to accomplish in the draft.”

While Young could be seen as a good value pick with potential down the line, Smart has the allure of a player who could help the Celtics win right away if they are able to make more moves to help them in that direction this summer.

Smart averaged 18 points a game his sophomore year at Oklahoma State, and has the big confidence to go with his big frame right out of the draft.

The Celtics figured to have three targets coming into the draft in Kansas center Joel Embiid, Arizona forward Aaron Gordon and Smart. When the Sixers took the injured Embiid third and the Magic surprisingly jumped on Gordon at No. 4, Smart became the clear pick at No. 6.

“He’s a guy who goes downhill on the pick-and-rolls,” Ainge said. “He absorbs contact. He goes through contact. He initiates contact.”

Both Ainge and Stevens said the Smart pick does not negatively impact Rajon Rondo’s future with the team, with Ainge adding that he sees Smart and restricted free agent Avery Bradley being able to play side by side as well.

“He’s a very versatile player,” Ainge said. “He can play off the ball. He can handle the ball. With his length and his size he can probably play against a lot of small forwards.

“Easily, those guys can play together and really thrive – all three of them.”

While Ainge wasn’t able to make the transformative move he might have hoped to make on Thursday, he clearly seemed pleased he was able to bring in a player in Smart that can help the team improve next year, and who could be a franchise leader down the road.

He brought in a player in Smart whom Boston may really embrace in a big way for a long time.

“The way Marcus Smart plays is just tough,” Young said of his combine roommate in a conference call. “That's how Boston players are.”

Scott Souza covers the Boston Celtics for the MetroWest Daily News and GateHouse Media. He can be reached at 781-398-8006 or ssouza@wickedlocal.com. Follow him on Twitter @scott_souza.